636 G St SE

Washington, DC

John Philip Sousa (b. November 6, 1854; d. March 6, 1932) was a native Washingtonian who wrote the soundtrack to the American soldiers’ march. Born into a family of musicians—including a father who played trombone for the US Marine Band—he played, sang and studied music from a young age. When he attempted to run off with a circus band at age 13, his father promptly signed him up to join the Marine Band. Sousa found his calling there and eventually wrote some of the most enduring pieces of American patriotic music we know, including: The Washington Post; the national march of the United States, The Stars and Stripes Forever; and the official march of the US Marine Corps, Semper Fidelis. They are a testament to his mastery of composition and conducting, and earned him the endearing title, The March King. As if his legend preceded him, Sousa was born near the Marine Barracks in southeast DC. His birth house, located at 636 G Street SE, still stands.